Evelina Cooper has started her studies at the Ladies' College of London but it's not going nearly as well as she hoped. Not only is she trapped by the Gold King, but she is feeling stifled at her studies as well. Evelina is determined to escape but will she learn to embrace her full magical powers in time to save herself and be useful for the growing Baskerville rebellion? Meanwhile, the threat of war between the Steam Barons is close to exploding while Evelina's best friend, Imogene Roth, continues to lie in the coma-like slumber. Will the war be the end of all those whom Evelina loves?

A STUDY IN ASHES is the third book in an exciting trilogy. A STUDY IN ASHES should be read in the context of the series as a whole so that readers can see how all the relationships and various political maneuverings have occurred. And wow, what a stunning conclusion to such a phenomenal series! However, I'm more than a little sad to say goodbye to the characters I've grown to love so dearly over the course of the trilogy.

Emma Jane Holloway has masterfully created a steampunk series that cleverly plays off of the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story, "The Hound of the Baskervilles." The storyline is brilliantly executed, weaving together pieces of the classic novel with the new steampunk world Holloway has created. The Sherlock Holmes fan in me was practically giddy with joy reading this final book as all the hints and innuendos from the prior two books finally came to fruition!

I love how technology plays such a vital role in A STUDY IN ASHES and yet it doesn't overwhelm the character development. Rather, Emma Jane Holloway has created multidimensional characters who struggle with the weighty consequences of their choices. They make mistakes, sometimes rather big ones, and it is easy to relate to their dilemmas when the lines between right and wrong seem so blurred. Better still, Mouse and Bird play crucial roles in the storyline so we get to see more of them. A STUDY IN ASHES may just be my favorite book of 2013!